19 Best Places to Sell Textbooks for the Most Money

Believe it or not, there’s a huge market out there for selling textbooks. With college costs rising, people often look to buy used textbooks instead of new. It helps them save money on education costs.

If you have (or can get) used textbooks, you can potentially create a great side hustle by selling them. Here is some information on places to sell textbooks for the most money.

We also added some advice about how and where to sell to maximize your potential profit. Selling textbooks is a way you can make occasional extra cash.

Or if you want, you have the option of turning textbook sales into a bona fide small business.

1. Decluttr

First, you enter the (barcode) ISBN (International Standard Book Number) located on the back of the book you want to sell on the Decluttr search bar.

If Decluttr doesn’t currently take the book, the site will give you a message saying that. If they do, an offer price for the book will pop up. Second, you choose whether or not to accept it.

After you accept offer prices on the books you want to sell, they send you a free shipping label via email. Third, you print the labels. Then pack the books up, and ship them by dropping the box at a UPS shipping outlet.

When they arrive at the Decluttr warehouse, they’ll get assessed. If everything you shipped comes as expected, they’ll pay you the next day via PayPal, Direct Deposit or check.

Note that you won’t get as much money for your books on Decluttr as if you were to sell them yourself. However, the process is simple and a fast way to get some cash for your textbooks.

2. Cash4Books

Cash4Books works similar to how Decluttr works. When you go to the website, you enter the ISBN of each book you want to sell.

The site gives you an offer price, and you can accept or reject it. If you take their offer, they’ll give you a free shipping label to print out. You box up the books and ship them.

After the books arrive at the Cash4Books warehouse, they assess them. If the books are found to be in acceptable condition, you’ll get paid via PayPal or a mailed check – whichever you prefer.

As with Decluttr, you probably won’t get as much money with Cash4Books as if you sold the books yourself. Also, I have found that other sites buy a wider range of books than this one.

This site can be a good site to sell to if you have college textbooks, though. And you’ll get your money fast without the hassle of shipping to an individual buyer.

This route might be the way to go if you want easy money and have a lot of books to sell.

3. Bookscouter

Bookscouter is a unique site to sell textbooks. It will compile a list of buyer sites for you. Just enter the textbook ISBN, and Bookscouter will populate a list of potential buyers.

Also, it shows what each one is willing to pay for your book. From there, you choose the buyer you want and click on the link to their website.

Follow the directions from that site to ship your books and get paid. Note that Bookscouter doesn’t necessarily display offers from every other book buying site.

For instance, when I entered an ISBN for a science book, I got offers from several sites. However, my offers page didn’t list Decluttr, and Decluttr did have an offer price for my book when I visited the site directly.

4. Bookbyte

As with similar sites, Bookbyte allows you to enter the ISBN of a book to get an offer price. If you like the price, hit the “Continue Sale” button and the site will direct you.

18. Garage Sales

Or partner with a friend or family member for a bigger garage sale inventory. Advertise your garage sale on garage sale sites and on Craigslist, and be sure to mention you have textbooks for sale.

19. Homeschool Groups

I’ve sold a lot of textbooks to homeschool groups in the past. Even if you aren’t a homeschooler, you can sell your textbooks to homeschool groups.

Do an internet search for “homeschool groups near me” for more information. Explain what textbooks you have for sale and how much you want for them.

Homeschool groups look for elementary and high school textbooks as well as college textbooks for their students.

Now let’s talk a bit about how to get the most money for the textbooks you sell.

How to Get the Most Money for the Textbooks You Sell

There are things you can do to get the most money for textbooks you sell. Follow these tips for maximum profit.

Know What Kinds of Books to Buy

It’s important to know what books to buy that will resell quickly and make you a profit. The newer the textbook, the faster it will likely sell. Also, the more popular the subject, the quicker it will probably sell.

If you regularly sell textbooks, you may want to use a trusted shopping app (see this article at PCMag.com) to scan barcodes of what books are selling for.

That way you know if you’re paying the price for a textbook that will net you a good profit when you sell.

Know Where to Buy

You’ll probably get the best prices if you buy from private parties just looking to get rid of the books. You may be able to get a few good deals on sites like eBay.

However, buying directly from students or former students may get you the lowest buying price. The lower your buying price is, the higher your profit.

Keep or Buy Them in Great Shape

If you’re selling textbooks you’ve purchased new and used them yourself, be sure to keep them in great shape. Don’t write in them. Be careful with the pages as you study. And store them in safe places.

Don’t eat or drink near them. Keep them far away from water sources. If you drink water as you study, use a water bottle to help minimize damage from potential spills.

If you’re buying used textbooks, whether to study with or resell, look for ones already in great shape.

Look through the copies to ensure pages are intact and not written on with ink. If they’re written on in pencil, erase the writing carefully.

The better shape your books are in, the faster they’ll likely sell.

Sell at the Right Time

Selling at the right time is also vital. People don’t generally buy 10-year-old textbooks. Try to sell ones that are less than five years old. Less than two years old is ideal for maximum profit.

Check to see what edition is currently selling new. If a new version has already replaced a book from the publisher, your chances of selling it decrease dramatically.

It’s also helpful to sell textbooks during the right time of the year. Sell your books when people are starting to think about the books they need to buy.

For example, sell in the weeks and months leading up to a new semester or trimester. Think late spring or early summer. Or sell during the early days of winter break.

Research Prices Before Setting Your Price

It’s essential to research prices when selling textbooks too. I typically sell most of mine either via the homeschool group I’m in or on eBay.

Before I sell on eBay, I always check other similar listings to see what they’re asking. Then I list a couple of dollars below the price of similar items. As a buyer, I always look for a great product for the lowest price.

However, if an item is priced far below similar listings, I get suspicious. Therefore, I choose an amount that’s a few dollars below similar listings, but not too much below.

Remember to keep shipping costs in mind too and factor them into your list price. I typically offer free shipping when I sell, but not always.

Look at other listings and see how you can make yours just a bit more attractive to potential buyers.

Choose Your Venue Thoughtfully

The venue is another important consideration when selling textbooks. Think about what is more important to you.

If you’re looking to get rid of the books quickly, consider Decluttr or a used bookstore like Half Priced Books.

However, if you are looking for maximum profit, consider sites like eBay. The time factor is important too.

Do you have time to package up and ship books out? If not, eBay might not be the best choice for you.

You’ll have to decide if the time saved or money earned is most important. From there, you can choose the selling venue that best fits your textbook selling goals.

Summary

Whether you’re just selling textbooks you’ve used for school or making a career out of selling them, you can make money. Buy right, sell right and check out the different options for selling textbooks.

It will likely take some time and research to do so. But if you do it correctly, you can make some serious cash.

Have you ever tried to sell textbooks? If so, what was your experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section on our Facebook page.